Saturday, May 21, 2011

Sure, in high school and college, a 1000 page epic was a great way to spend an afternoon (I was a much faster reader back then). But after Jordan and Martin's massive epics left me annoyed at their glacial pace, I was sure that Brian Sanderson's The Way of Kings wouldn't be a good read.

I'll admit I put it down twice, and the third time I got into it by reading the storyline of one of the main characters about 3/4ths of the way through. By the time I stopped myself, the storylines were starting to converge rather splendidly. So back I went to read everything else. Will I ever read this tome again? Nah. But I'll look for the sequel with keen anticipation. Characters that grow despite suffering, good quality world-building, and several nice touches such as lots of maps and artwork do get a bit mangled from one or two ham-fisted twisted at the end of a theological nature, but the work is still a quality read, and enjoyment comes quickly enough. Rating 28.2 Richmans.

The Ratings System: Richmans!

The Richman point system goes up to 42, in a nod to HGTTG. Think of the scale as being comparable to a four-star rating scale, just with a bit more flexibility. Anything under 10 is bad news. Anything 40 and over is possible, but would have to be reserved for a work of Bujoldian splendor, Tolkienian triumph, Asimovian achievement, and... and... funny like a Harry Dresden novel.

How we rate: 42 Richmans: Perfection. Eternal Classic. Bliss. Re-read annually. Essential. A book you buy for people when they say they don't have it.41 Richmans: A new masterwork. To be bought now if you can afford it. To be stolen if you can't afford it.40 Richmans: Delight! Joy! Worth staying up all night to finish, like the ones you loved in middle school. Near perfection.

35-39 Richmans: Highest Recommendation. Damn fine work. A new candidate for your all-time, top-five best list. 26-34 Richmans: Strongly Recommended. Excellent in most every way.20-25 Richmans: Somewhat Recommended. Perhaps a weak sequel or a silly ending mars a good work. Flawed but fun.10-20 Richmans: Recommended with an *, as in *Noteworthy , or *Shows potential. Better than being stuck in traffic. OK.5-10 Richmans: Whatever the opposite of Recommended is. A warning not to disturb the Ark of the Covenant. If we gave this book a test, its grade would be a D. Or an F.1-5 Richmans: Aieeee! Don't look at it. As awful as the 8 years of GW Bush as president, but crammed into one book. Better to be reading a US Tax code while having dental work done. Worse than having to make love to Bibi Natanyahu.0 Richmans: A book so awful, not even thought can escape it. The worst book you have ever read.